Scholarship Scams Avoiding Scholarship Scams, Phishing & Identity Theft at All Cost.

Scholarship ScamsScholarship ScamsAvoiding Scholarship Scams,

Phishing & Identity Theft at All Cost

Common Financial Aid ProgramsCommon Financial Aid Programs

• Common Aid Programs• Federal Pell Grant• Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)• National Science and Mathematics Access to

Retain Talent Grant (SMART)• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity

Grant (SEOG)• Minnesota State Grant• Federal Perkins Loan• Federal/State Work-Study• Stafford Loans• PLUS Loans• SELF Loans• Alternative Loans

Scholarship ResourcesScholarship Resources

• Scholarship Resources• Colleges• High School• Private business scholarships• Civic organization scholarships• Religious groups• Local library resources• Place of employment

Other things to know about applying

for financial aid:Apply early

The information reported on the FAFSA is confidential and is used ONLY to determine financial aid eligibility

You may be asked to submit documentation to the financial aid

office for verification purposes

Supplemental applications or forms may be required

Keep track of application DEADLINES!

Keep a copy of everything you submit

You must reapply every year

Avoid Scholarship ScamsAvoid Scholarship Scams

• Avoid scholarship scams• For information and tips to avoid

scholarship scams: www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/College Students.htm

• Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm

• U. S. Department of Education: www.studentaid.ed.gov

What types of questionable What types of questionable practices are out there?practices are out there?

Older Schemes:◦ Paid Search Services◦ Scholarships For Profit◦ Claims Made:

“You can’t get this info anywhere else” “We’ll do all the work”

More Recent: ◦ Financial Aid “Seminars”

General, common-sense info to group, then one-on-one sales pitch Claims include “the process is too complicated; you need our help”

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Avoid Scholarship ScamsAvoid Scholarship Scams

View with caution any service that requires you to pay

Report Scams

While most scholarship services are legitimate, some may be fraudulent and might charge a lot of money for little information.

Better Business Bureau

High School Counselor

Financial Aid Office

Friends

What is phishing?What is phishing?

Typical social engineering schemes use “spoofed” e-mails to direct users to counterfeit Web sites.

Use of spyware, key loggers to capture personal data.

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Use of social engineering and technical subterfuge to steal consumers' personal identity data and financial account credentials.

Phishing PreventionPhishing Prevention

Don't use links in an e-mail to get to any Web page if you suspect the message might not be authentic ◦ Instead, call the company on the telephone or log onto

its Web site directly by typing in the Web address in your browser

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Phishing PreventionPhishing Prevention

Always ensure you're using a secure Web site when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser ◦ To make sure you're on a secure Web server, check

the beginning of the Web address in your browser’s address bar - it should be "https://" rather than just "http://"

Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages that ask for personal financial information ◦ You should only communicate information such as

credit card numbers or account information via a secure Web site or the telephone

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Phishing PreventionPhishing Prevention

Regularly log into your online accounts ◦ Don't leave it for as long as a month before you check

each account Regularly check your bank, credit and debit card

statements to ensure that all transactions are legitimate ◦ If anything is suspicious, contact your bank and all card

issuers Ensure that your browser is up to date and

security patches applied Consider installing a Web browser tool bar to help

protect you from known phishing fraud Web sites

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What Can be Done?What Can be Done?

Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information ◦Unless e-mail is digitally signed, you can't be sure it

wasn't forged or “spoofed” ◦Phishers typically include upsetting or exciting (but

false) statements in e-mails to get people to react immediately

◦They typically ask for info such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, etc.

◦Phisher e-mails are typically NOT personalized, while valid messages from your bank or e-commerce company generally are

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Identity Theft – What is it?Identity Theft – What is it?

When someone, without lawful authority, knowingly transfers or uses a “means of identification” of another person with the intent to commit, or aid or abet, any unlawful activity that violates federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any state or local law.

Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998

18 USC § 1028a (7)

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A review of the problemA review of the problem

What is the problem?◦Fastest growing crime in the country◦25 million victims, 10 million in 2004◦Sheer numbers swamp law enforcement

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Further thoughts on the problemFurther thoughts on the problem

What’s the harm?◦600 hours spent to restore identity and credit◦$1,400 out-of-pocket costs to victim◦$16,000 in lost productivity of victim◦$40,000-$92,000 business community losses

per stolen identitySource: Identity Theft Resource Center

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How do they get the information?How do they get the information?

Dumpster diversMail thievesBurglary and personal theftInsider compromisesPhishingInternet sources and hacking

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Reducing riskReducing risk

Drop outgoing mail in a USPS box, not your home mailbox

Limit the number of credit cards you carryDon’t carry your Social Security cardWe DO NOT know who might look through our

trashShred sensitive documentsSecure shred barrels and make sure that proper

handling procedures are in place

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